France detains Nice’s Atal for Israel-Hamas war message

Youcef Atal

French police on Friday detained Algerian international Youcef Atal, who plays for Ligue 1 football side Nice, in a probe into suspected "justification of terrorism" after he published a social media post on the Israel-Hamas war, prosecutors said.

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Last month the 27-year-old defender was banned for seven matches over the post, which he quickly deleted and for which he subsequently issued an apology. The public prosecutor in Nice opened a probe following a request from the local prefect and mayor of Nice.

The arrest means Atal can now be questioned by police in detention and could be charged, or released with no further immediate action taken, once the detention period expires. Atal had already been suspended by his club "until further notice."

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